Rahul, his family members are fake Gandhis, says Pralhad Joshi
Bengaluru, Dec 15: Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his Savarkar barb, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday termed him and his family members as "fake Gandhis".
He also accused the Congress and other "so called secular parties" of trying to project the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as a Hindu-Muslim issue with an intention to create unrest in the country.
"Rahul Gandhi has said he was not Rahul Savarkar.. it is impossible for you to become Rahul Savarkar," Joshi said.
Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, he said, "as per convenience you enter into an understanding with anyone, you can become Rahul Uddhav Thackrey- we all know what all words you have used against him and what you have done now."
"You (Rahul) become whatever you want, but speaking against a patriot like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar shows the frustration of Congress... they are all nakli (fake) Gandhis- Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Vadra Gandhi- only they can speak such things about others," he added.
Under fire from the BJP over his 'rape in India' remark, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he will die but never apologise for speaking truth as he was a Gandhi and not a Savarkar, remarks that drew immediate disapproval from new- found ally Shiv Sena which said the Hindutva icon should not be insulted.
Alleging the "so called secular parties" were trying to instigate violence in the country, Joshi clarified that the Citizenship Amendment Act has nothing to do with stripping anyone of their citizenship, but about providing it.
"Our neighboring Islamic countries, where religious persecutions are occurring against minorities- if they (minorities of those countries) come to India- this will provide citizenship to them.
Congress was indulging in evil tricks of playing it up as a Hindu-Muslim issue," he alleged.
CAA was not an Hindu-Muslim issue at all, but providing citizenship to those who are in this country without it for years together, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.
Claiming that people who came from Uganda, Bangladesh, and also Sri Lankan Tamils had earlier been granted citizenship, he said if anyone from other countries apply, the government will look into it.
After the Narendra Modi led government came to power, 550 minority refugees were given citizenship, he said.
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Rahul to contest LS polls from Rae Bareli, his loyalist KL Sharma from Amethi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha election from the Rae Bareli seat, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi earlier.
Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, the party said in a statement on Friday.
Sharma was the key person who looked after the two prestigious constituencies in the absence of the Gandhis.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, its current chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be in Rae Bareli during the nomination filing, the party said.
Rahul and Sharma will file their nomination papers on Friday, the last date for the filing of nominations for the seats.
The two seats will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth of the seven-phase general election.
Ending days of suspense, the party announced the candidates from the two seats early Friday.
Deliberations had been on in the party since Thursday on the names of the contenders for the two seats, which have been traditionally held by the members of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
The BJP had on Thursday announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from Rae Bareli. He had lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Posters and banners of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were also brought late last evening to the Congress office in Gauriganj.
BJP leader Smriti Irani has already filed her nomination papers from Amethi.
The Uttar Pradesh leadership of the Congress had earlier called upon the Gandhi family to contest both the seats.
